People First Radio – January 15, 2026

People First Radio – January 15, 2026

What drives someone to seek a life that actually fits, even if it means quitting something that once felt essential? This episode of People First Radio lines up two very different but equally honest stories about health, identity, and knowing when to step back.

First up, Toronto freelance journalist Zahra Kazema talks about cancelling her pricey downtown gym membership after a decade of being, in her words, “obsessed with the gym.” She shares how a once-positive habit slid into guilt, shame and toxic self-policing: “Health doesn’t always have to look like you need to go to the gym.” Zahra chats about burnout, Apple Watch competition gone wild, and the pressure to be the friend who’s always ‘closing their rings’.

You’ll hear how she’s rebuilding movement into everyday life with walking pads, housework and tweaks to her diet, while trying to accept that you can’t do everything at once. Later, Nanaimo playwright and longtime performer Joëlle Rabu brings a different kind of emotional weight with her stage production *I Don’t Belong Here: Stories and Songs at the Edge of Forgetting*.

Set in a dementia care facility, the show follows 22 characters in 15 short scenes, backed by 19 songs from Harry Nilsson. Joëlle explains how the piece draws directly from people she knows, the emotional tightrope of honouring real residents, families and care aides, and why she treats support staff as “keepers of the memories.” Both conversations circle back to one simple idea: your health is personal, it changes over time, and you’re allowed to rewrite the script.

If you’ve ever felt guilty for quitting a routine or scared by dementia touching your family, this episode might feel uncomfortably close to home—in the best possible way. What if giving yourself a break is the most responsible thing you could do today?